Who made 'em? I heard something somewhere about his playing a Preshaw chanter as of late and a body by Dave Williams, but who made his original set that he’s played forever, especially his chanter? Anyone know? I’m referring to the one he’s been using on all the Lunasa/Coolfin/At First Light work. I love that sound sooo much - it really is his own personal sound! Does anyone know if he makes his own reeds? Also, has anyone ever heard him play flat pipes?
Ben
John may have a Martin Preshaw chanter but on those recordings he plays a chanter made by Sean McAloon. Sean made chanters that were copied from a Leo Rowsome chanter. Martin also bases his chanters on that Rowsome stick too.
Tommy
I’ve asked the same question to john and he answered that a friend of him makes his reeds. Great sound!
Yeah, great sound, great playing. He’s definitely my favourite player.
j.i.
So I guess McAloon chanters are pretty rare then, or was he a prolific maker?
that’s a keyless boxwood chanter… keyless… nothing more to say… 
Keyless, eh?
That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. It’s never, EVER as much the tools as it is the operator!
He’s playing in Glasgow on Sunday 16th, by the way.
Anyone going?
B
…and his chanter must have some problems because he uses a lot of tape on it and a rush in.(don’t know for what note)
hi all
spent the night with John last friday night a Celtic Connections (Glasgow) until 4.30 am !!! in the festival club.
He’s in great form a real live wire.
Reminiscing about Wicklow 2000 the Johnny Doran festival
(wow that was five years ago) waxing about Django and doing a neat impersonation of Jimmy Page on air guitar and pipes.
Mentioned this before but since the post is about his pipes -
had I accepted his offer to swap his McAloon for my “mystery chanter” ( still unidentified ) he might have been playing it now.
Yep, and from the look of him (and his band) on the Sunday night, I don’t think they’d left between the Friday and the Sunday. I was sitting quite far back, but I didn’t see any keys. Didn’t hear 'em, either 
Watching two symmetrical uilleann pipers is really weird.
I didn’t think his sound was as good as it is on At First Light, but of course the vagaries of microphones and whatnot probably has a lot to do with that.
Gio, I suspect the rushing and taping has less to do with the quality of chanter and more the neccessity for a professional musician to be able to tune his instrument, right now. Tape is easier and more reliable than knives, sandpaper, bridle fiddling, etc.
Cheers,
Calum
right calum, I also use tape on my chanter. just said that there’s prob some note that is out of tune.
One thing i like of him is that he loves his chanter so much and he wouldn’t change it for another one more in-tune… [/img]